Two American series dare to depict the reality of Palestinian life under occupation.
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In Freedom, the tenth episode of the 20th season ofProject Runway, designerRami Kashoumakes a dress.
Im unable to visit my birthplace, Jerusalem.
There are always obstacles and checkpoints in the way.
But in this particular design, I wanted freedom of flow, freedom of movement.
The camera cuts to judges Welteroth and Brandon Maxwell, their faces blank as the designer describes his inspiration.
None of the judges asks him questions about his personal story as they do for the other contestants.
Narrative TV shows all but ignore the conflict.
Six episodes later, we learn Khaleds months of captivity have become aninternational news story.
He returns to that unrestrained feeling for creative impetus in the later episode Freedom.
It literally is about the Palestinian Dream.
Rami and Ramy are different men born in different parts of the world who work in different creative fields.
They depict an imbalanced reality that takes on a grim new relevance asviolence has spreadthroughout the Palestinian territories.
Its a political issue.
Its complicated, Ayala tells Ramy as he agonizes over Khaleds arrest toward the end ofRamys third season.
That vagueness could apply to how American TV had previously avoided engaging with the Palestinian viewpoint.
